CLAIM: Brazil used Smartmatic voting machines to “steal” the October 2022 presidential election, similar to how the 2020 election was manipulated in the U.S.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Smartmatic, a voting technology firm, does not provide voting machines in Brazil and did not supply any services for the 2022 presidential election, a spokesperson for the company stated. Claims that Smartmatic helped flip the 2020 election in the U.S. to Joe Biden are baseless , The Associated Press reported.
THE FACTS: After leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s election, Bolsonaro’s supporters protested his loss across the country.
Social media users shared false posts to claim Brazil’s election was marred by fraud, including claims that Smartmatic voting machines were used to tamper with the vote.
“Millions are showing up in Brazil to protest their Presidents stolen election with smartmatic voting machines!” one tweet falsely claimed.
Similar claims have circulated online since 2018, asserting that Smartmatic provided voting equipment for Brazil’s elections. However, Smartmatic has never provided voting machines or software for elections in the country, according to the company and election officials in Brazil.
In 2020, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) released a statement saying that Smartmatic has had contracts with the electoral authority for data provision and voice connection services, but not for developing or operating voting machines.
“We have never provided voting machines to Brazil,” Samira Saba, a spokesperson for Smartmatic, confirmed to the AP in an email. Saba also noted that Smartmatic did not provide any additional services for the 2022 election.
In the 2020 U.S. election, Smartmatic technology was used in a single district , Los Angeles County, California, the AP reported.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies have fueled a campaign of attacks against voting equipment since he lost the presidency. There’s no evidence that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election, nor that widespread fraud occurred.
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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.